The New Workforce: Rating Your Boss Online? No Problem

The Millennials’ knack for re-ordering the world through social media is just beginning, and it will have far-reaching impact.  Unlike any other generation, Millennials are harnessing technology in inventive ways to create online communities that support their needs – and turn traditional relationships on their head.
An illustrative case in point is www.RateMyProfessors.com. Students share information about the best college professors, how campuses rank according to faculty, and even rate the skill level of their teachers.  Created in 1999, the site offers opinions about college and university professors from 6,000 schools in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Wales, with thousands of new ratings added each day.
RateMyProfessors.com is a perfect expression of Millennials’ instinct to create transparency by collaborating with others. This impulse, combined with Millennials’ unmatched technology sophistication, is part of their DNA. That being the case, would we be surprised, if this concept were applied to managers in the corporate world?
In fact, it already has.  www.eBossWatch.com invites employees to rate their bosses. Many of the nation’s largest employers have managers on the list.  The site provides job seekers with just-in-time data about the terrific bosses – and the ones to avoid. The rating is provided by an employee, who types in their boss’ first and last name, company name.  Right on the site’s home page is a list of individuals by name who were declared the 25 Worst Bosses of 2009 – complete with a description of their alleged transgressions.
For companies, one implication of this kind of information is that it requires a response.  What that response might be, however, is tricky.  In some entries, there were descriptions about a hostile workplace environment and harassment, and violation of employment rights, which would require a formal response.  As problematic is the potential leverage that comes with social media. What if a Millennial, which on average has more than 220 Facebook fans, were to post a critical review of a manager on his or her site?
More broadly, how does this democratization of the manager and employee relationship fundamentally change the workplace calculus? Does it make managers think twice? Make them more tentative? From a performance and retention perspective, what will be the impact? Will Millennials and others utilize this information to change companies? Could this type of data be the deciding factor in going to work for a company? It’s not inconceivable to see an articulate Millennial saying to the recruiter or hiring manager, “I really want this position you’re offering, but I won’t work for that boss because I know he’s difficult, demanding, and unfair.”  Could the emerging workplace being re-shaped by Millennials mean that a candidate tries to negotiate for whom they will work?

As we recover from the Great Recession and the talent market expands, employers are facing a new workplace dynamic. It is sure to impact you, your team and your company.  For employers, it’s also a call to action to understand Millennials and how they view the work world – and then create programs to channel all of their creative energies and talents.